Open type display refrigerator



Jan. 24, 1950 H. HARDIN OPEN TYPE DISPLAY REFRIGERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. l0, 1947 IN1/EN TOR,

H5872 Hardw,

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 24, 1950 H. HARDIN OPEN TYPE DISPLAY REFRIGERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2f Filed Jan. 10, 1947 INVENTOR,

HLVerZ Harolim BY I ATTORNEY.

Jan. 24, 1950 H. HARDIN oPEN TYPE DISPLAY REFRIGERAToR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3111121.41-

Filed Jan. 10, 1947 INVENTOR, Hube Harel a ATTOHN EY.

Patented Jan. 24, 1950 v 2,495,327 o PEN mi: DISPLAY amrciim'roa HubertHardin, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to Ed Friedrich, Inc., San Antonio,Tex., a corporation of Texas Application 'January io, 1941, serial No.721.402 1 claim. (Cl. ca -sas) vMy invention relates to displayrefrigerators which are particularly useful for keeping articles ofmerchandise in a refrigerated conditionand at the same time permit readyand free access to such merchandise by the customer.

Objects of the invention are, (1) to provide a refrigerator in whichpackaged frozen foods may be stored in full view of the customer througha transparent front wall, the packaged goods being well located belowthe top of the front wall in what may be termed a dead air chamber, (2)to provide a novel refrigerating coil unit which also serves as apartitioned receptacle for the packaged goods, (3) to provide means foreffecting a layer of more or less quiescent cool air above the contentsof the s'aid receptacle, (4) and in general to provide an improvedrefrigerator of the type stated which will be neat and artistic inappearance as well as eillciently useful in the performance of itsfunction. f

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part become apparenthereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends invention furtherresides in the novel details of construction, combinations andarrangement of parts all of which will iirst be fully described and thenbe specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged cross section on mately the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of my refrigerator.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one corner of thecombined food receptacle and cooling unit on about the line 3-3 oi Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a `detail perspective section of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Inthe drawing in which like numerals and letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures, I represents 4the base of therefrigerator case, 2 the sub-floor on which is laid a layer or layers ofinsulation 3. The framing of the approxicase is indicated by II, Il,IIb, llc, lid, II,

Hf, IIS, llh, II, Ill, lik, ill, Ilm, Il, II, II,

IIq, II', IIS.

The front wall comprises the insulation l, the metal facing 1, windowframe and sheathing 5, and the window panes 6.

' seam welded together also.

The back wall of th'e cabinet includes the iny sulation 8 and metalfacing 9. The side or end walls I0 are likewise formed o f metalsheathing over insulation and present a similar cross-section to theback wall.

Above the level of the top of the front wall of the case and extendinghorizontally forwardly therefrom between framing boards Il. IIb is ablock of insulation 38 while a vertical wall of insulation 39 extendsfrom the front of the block and board II downwardly a substantialdistance below the top of the window frame 5, thus providing an airspace P open only at the bottom. A front board I2 secured between twoframing boards Il", IIJ and faced with a metallic plate I3 forms thefront of the vertical wall. The bottom of the vertical wall and theinside of the space P are provided with a metal sheathing Il thatextends down over the framing board Il that is located in the back wallbelow the level of the vertical wall as best shown in Fig. 1.`

Brackets I5 secured to the vertical wall and the back wall in anyapproved way constitute supports for auxiliary cooling plate-coils Itlocated in parallel vertical positions within the chamber.

Within the food chamber F is located a combinedcooling or freezing platecoil and food containery unit which comprises an'essential part of thepresent invention. This unit is best shown schematically in Fig. 2 andin end elevation and part cross section in Fig. 1. As will be seen thisunit comprises a metal base plate or oor plate Il, a back wall plate I8,a front wall plate 28 and endplates I9, the latter being the outerplates of the end plate-coils whose inner plates are indicated by 20.The plates I8, 28 and 20 have bent over bottom portions 23 which areseam welded, as at sw, to the bottom plate I'I. The vertical corneredges of the plates I8, 28 and 20 are bent so as to lie together as at25 and Intermediate partition plate coils 2l are provided and have frontand back anges 22 spot welded, as at 20 Fig. 4, to'the plates I8, 28.'-The partition plate-coils 2l do not extend down to contact the -plate I1but are spaced a suitable distance from the same to allow drainage tothe drain 40, when stopper Il is removed.

The flanges 23.are bevel cut at the corners and corner pieces 24,slotted to fit over the parts 25, are inserted and gas-welded to theflanges 23, as at gw, and seam welded to the plate Il as at sw, Fig. 5.

The several plate coils I9, 2l, 2l and I6v are connected together,preferably in series, and to an outside source of refrigerantcirculator, by

pipes 26 as best shown in Fig. 2.

'I'he combined cooling or freezing and food holder unit includes outsideinsulation blocks 21 which rest on the flanges 23. This self-containedunit is set into the food chamber F of the cabinet and rests on thefloor insulation 3.

It is to be noted that the front wall 28 of the u'nit does not extendabove the level of the bottom of the window but is bent over theinsulation block as at 29 on'3l, the edge 30 being protected bythe strip3| of the window structure.

Spaced above the horizontal wall formed by the insulation 38 andadjacent framing boards H is a top composed of framing boards ll and ametal cover plate 32. The top overhangs the horizontal wall as a canopyand contains along its front a box'33 for a tubular light tube 34.

A mirror 35 is mounted beneath the canopy to reilect the contents of thefood chamber F to the outside.

Celotex or other suitable boards 36 behind the mirror 35 cooperate withthe top and the horizontal wall to provide a chamber S which is open atthe back, as at 31, and may. be used to hold or store any articlesdesired.

.The articles of food to be preserved (such as packaged frozen food) arepiled in the spaces between the plate-coil-partitions 20, 2| to thelevel of the top of the said partitions. This makes them visible throughthe window as well as reiiection from the mirror.

Clip-strips or similar strips 42 serve to support signs 43 illustrativeof the products serviced, the signs being supported against thesheathing I3, when they are in place. v

It is to be observed that no means is provided to eifect any denitecirculation of air in the cabinet, it being desired to maintain asquiescent a volume of cold air in the chamber F as possible. Any Warmair which may enter chamber F while removing a package of frozen food is.said canopy top and above the level of the top of the window, saidinsulating partition extendingv forwardly from said back wall asubstantially lesser distance than the canopy top, an insulation wallextending vertically downward from the front end of said horizontallydisposed insulation partition toa level below that of thex'top of thefront wall window to provide a space between the back wall and saidvertically downwardly extending insulation wall, said space being openonly at the bottom, a metallic lining for said space; a combined coolingand food receptacle unit within said case Abelow said' space andincluding horizontally spaced vertical cooling plate promptly displacedby cold air from space P, the

In an open-type` display refrigerator; a case coils the tops of whichextend above the bottom level of the window and terminate a substantialdistance vbelow said space; and an auxiliary coolingplate unit locatedin said space and opera' REFERENCES CITED The following references areof recordtin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,207,586 Hill July 9, 19402,248,286 Sanders July 8, 1941 2,321,695 Miller June 15, 1943 2,379,885Davis July 10, 1945 2,428,243 Raskin sept, 3o, 1947 2,430,329 Davis Nov.4, 1947 2.447.699

Hardin' Aug. 24. 1948

